The Red Sparrow
by Sandylee007
Summary: Spencer Reid finds himself facing a desperate battle when a man from his past makes an unwanted reappearance. In the potentially deadly turmoil skeletons come marching out of his closet. Will the ghosts of his past be the doom of him and everyone he cares about? And what does the infamous, mysterious Red Sparrow have to do with the whole chaos?              REID-WHUMP / TOUGH-REID
1. She

A/N: Guess what, guys? I'm thinking about returning to the 'CM' fandom. If you'll still have me… I wonder if anyone even remembers me. It's been a while… (blushes from embarrassment)

This plotline came to me out of nowhere. While I'll admit that I've made stories a little like this before… This one will have its own special spin. Anyone up for some badass Reid and Reid-whump…?

DISCLAIMER: PLEEEEEEEEASE…! Nope, sadly, no. I only own something of 'CM' in my dreams. (sighs)

WARNINGS: GORE, VIOLENCE, language, adult themes… This is gonna get fairly violent, guys…!

Awkay… Starting new stories is always unnerving. Especially since it's been a WHILE since my last 'CM' outing… I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride!

* * *

 ** _The Red Sparrow_**

* * *

She

* * *

/ She _was the kind of a woman Spencer Reid experienced with all his five senses._

 _The first time he felt her… It was more like a hunch. It was the kind of a tingle most people claimed they experienced when they imagined that they were facing ghosts. He shivered, his pupils reacting without him knowing it. Next came something like a brush. And the man he'd been observing fell to the ground, a bullet-hole between his eyes. While people started screaming Spencer peered over his shoulder, one hand on his own gun. The shooter was nowhere to be seen._

 _The next thing he caught was_ her _scent, while he entered a crime scene. He wasn't sure how he could be so certain that the faint touch of a perfume in the air belonged to her. He just knew._

 _Hearing_ her _was something far more dangerous. The bar on the other side of the door was painfully loud, its ferocious beat matching perfectly with the hammering of Spencer's heart. He gritted his teeth together so hard that he was trembling to keep himself from screaming. He almost did whimper when the knife was torn from his leg. "Last… chance", the man interrogating him, a burly blond with small blue eyes and a thick Russian accent, hissed. "Tell us where you took Petrova… and I'll end your suffering. Or make my day…" A fist was slammed at his face. The knuckle duster covering it didn't make the assault any more pleasant. "… and let me keep asking questions. Do you have any idea how much I'm enjoying this?"_

 _Spencer's eyes traveled downwards. He smirked and tasted blood. "'think I do." Of course he knew that antagonizing the man would do him no good. But he needed to buy his team more time. They had to get Aleksei Petrova, their most valuable witness in almost a decade, to safety. And if keeping this guy entertained would do the trick… Then so be it._

 _Oh, he definitely crossed a line. He had just enough time to spot something like a handgun before it was pressed mercilessly against his forehead. "Tell me another joke", the criminal urged him, eyes flashing manically._

 _Spencer tensed up and braced himself for anything. Only… Someone handled the problem for him. There was a hiss and the giant crumbled to the floor. Then a woman's voice he'd never heard before came through his ear comm. "_ You're welcome. _" There was a pause, during which his heart beat so loudly that it almost drowned out the bar's music. "_ Oh, and Spencer? Happy 20th birthday. _"_

 _"_ Jackal, do you copy? _" This time it was his teammate. "_ Cargo is secure. Get to the extraction point. _"_

 _Spencer began to work on freeing himself from the cuffs. "Copy that, Coyote." He swallowed thickly, feeling breathless for something other than the near-death experience. "Next time? Please try to be faster."_

 _The first time Spencer saw_ her _… It was a coincidence, really. He was visiting his mother in Vegas when a young couple passed him by. And he would've known, even if it wasn't for the familiar perfume. Those impossibly green eyes and red hair… He was spellbound just long enough for the couple of disappear into the crowd. Two days later the man's crying wife begged on local TV that anyone who might know anything about her husband's disappearance would come forward._

 _Last came the most intense experience, as fate would have it. It wasn't the first time Spencer found himself from a… very unpleasant situation. He was groggy from drugs and a concussion. But even when blindfolded he realized that he was on a boat. And decided that he didn't like it, at all. Already on the edge, fidgeted when a large hand was pressed against his throat. "_ You almost had us all fooled. Even me. If it wasn't for a… helpful tip, you might've actually succeeded. Agent Reid. _" The hand pressed considerably harder. "_ Do you know what we do to rats like you, Spencer? We squeeze… And squeeze… Until they don't breathe anymore. And then we let the sea take care of the garbage. _"_

 _"_ Sounds like fun. _"_ She _must've gotten there barefoot, or then he was more oxygen deprived than he'd imagined. Because he hadn't heard her. "_ But let's play a different game instead. _" There were unidentifiable sounds and suddenly Spencer could breathe again. A thud and a gasp later small but lightning-quick hands were working on the metal trapping him. "We really have to get away from here." His instincts kicked in and he struggled when she began to push him. "Spencer, I need you to trust me if you want to make it out of here alive." When he failed to comply she pressed her lips to his, firmly and demandingly._

 _Her taste made his heart hammer wildly. It was like a drug and in seconds he found himself returning the kiss. That was when she shoved and they fell, their lips still locked, her hands wrapped around his wrists almost as tightly as the metal moments earlier. They hit the water hard and he gasped into her mouth, to which she responded with the kind of a sound he'd never heard before. They sank down, down, down, until they were far out of harm's reach when the ship exploded. He lost consciousness with her lips on his and her taste on tongue. A ghost of that taste was still there when he woke up in a hospital, wondering if he imagined the whole thing._

 _He should've known that with someone like_ her _, that wouldn't remain as their last meeting._ /

* * *

Officer Thomas Jane, who'd been stuck working at Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women for the better part of a decade, wasn't having one of his best days. So when a man demanded to see a prisoner outside visiting hours he wasn't at his most polite and diplomatic. "Look, buddy, I get that you're missing your girl. But we have this thing called visiting hours for a reason…"

He was cut short when the man showed him a very much official badge. "Agent Spencer Reid, CIA. One of your inmates requested to see me. It's urgent." That commanding tone didn't carry a 'please'.

Spencer's whole body reacted the way it always did when _she_ was around. Those eyes were every bit as impossibly green as they were in the dreams he still had sometimes. "Long time no see", she greeted him. She glanced swiftly towards the camera monitoring them. "Don't worry. I paid someone to ensure that there's a technical malfunction and we won't be heard. I wanted some privacy for what we need to talk about."

* * *

When Emily Prentiss accepted her new position as a Unit Chief she knew to expect that there was a lot of paperwork in her future. But nothing could've fully braced her for just how much of it there would be. That evening she was going through case report number twenty-eight and struggled to will away a fast attacking headache when her phone rang.

Emily muttered some well-chosen words under her breath before picking up reluctantly. Years had made her fairly talented at foreseeing when she'd receive bad news. "Prentiss."

" _Is this Unit Chief Emily Prentiss?_ "

Emily's frown deepened. At least she was able to forget about the headache for a while… "Yes. Who am I speaking to?"

There was a heavy sigh which immediately promised nothing good. " _I'm Officer Thomas Jane, from Fluvanna Correctional Center for Women. I'm… worried about someone who visited one of our inmates earlier today._ " She was starting to wonder if this actually had anything to do with her until he went on. " _Agent Reid._ "

That… was a surprise. Who would Spencer know from a place like that? This wasn't making any sense to her. "What about that visit made you call me? And… How did you get my number?" Because it definitely wasn't registered publicly.

" _The inmate he met requested him to visit. He showed his badge upon arrival. Your colleagues at the agency advised me that he's currently working for your team and that I should contact you._ "

Emily blinked twice at that, very slowly. Agency? _CIA?_ "I… work with the FBI. As does agent Reid." She didn't give the man the chance to pry further. "I've understood that something about his visit worried you?"

" _Yes._ " Officer Jane considered his words carefully. " _Our CCTV footage shows that he was very agitated throughout most of his stay. And, as an officer of the law… It's my duty to report to his superior that we have every reason to suspect that there was drug dealing involved. After his departure we checked the footage again and it seems that at some point our inmate slipped something to him. She isn't talking. Maybe you'll have more luck with him._ " The man sighed. " _I'm sorry to pass on news like this…_ "

Emily felt cold. Very, very cold. "I will look into this", she interrupted him. She knew, for a fact, that there was no way Spencer would ever touch drugs again. Not with how hard he'd fought for his sobriety. "I will talk to him today. What's the name of the inmate he met?"

" _I'm… sorry, but… I'd rather not tell you at this point. Confidentiality…_ "

"I understand." Emily didn't sound very understanding. This man clearly wasn't going to be any more help right now, so she wasn't going to waste time on him. "I'll be in touch, Officer Jane." She hung up without giving him the chance to respond.

Emily took several deep breaths, the headache from before rushing back with vengeance. As soon as she felt composed enough for it she took her phone and dialed Spencer's number. Because she did need to talk to him, immediately. Somehow she wasn't even surprised when her call went straight to his voicemail. She scowled and cursed. "Damnit, Reid…!"

"… _can't pick up right now but_ …"

Because throwing the phone at a wall would've done no good she pocketed it instead. Then got up, her legs stiff from hours of sitting, grabbed her coat and went. A voice in the back of her head she'd learned to trust by now warned her that something unpleasant was about to happen.

The traffic was impossible. By the time Emily made it to Spencer's apartment building two police cars had been parked outside. She swallowed hard, already sick to her stomach. When she left the car and entered the building she felt like she'd been in one of her far too many nightmares.

Reaching Spencer's floor, she heard the hysterical voice of one of his neighbors. "… heard the gunshot, and… He just… He left, covered in blood…" She shook her head from shock and disbelief. "Oh god, he's always been such a nice young man…! I don't understand…"

The two police officers gathered around a pale, trembling old woman tensed up and gave Emily suspicious looks as soon as she stepped into view. She responded with showing her badge. "What's going on here?" She wasn't quite able to keep the emotional overload inaudible. She didn't care.

The officers obviously weren't impressed or pleased. "A fed, huh? We kind of knew to expect you guys after finding his badge." The man nodded towards the open door of Spencer's apartment. "Go in and snoop around all you like. But let the crime scene guys wrap up first or I'll have you kicked out, a fed or not."

Emily approached slowly, her feet clearly not wanting to take her a step closer. The first thing she saw was the three people who'd covered themselves from head to toe with white, protective clothing. Then she took in the whole scene, her eyes widening a little more with each new discovery.

Spencer's apartment was a mess. It didn't help that the window was broken. One of the men in white was currently taking a picture of the bullet hole on it. Books lay everywhere, a couch had been toppled over. There were some droplets of blood. But not a trace of Spencer.

For a frustratingly long moment shock paralyzed Emily. Then she took her phone and dialed. "Rossi? I… know that it's supposed to be a day off, but… You'd better call in the whole team…"

* * *

At the age of fifty-eight Carl Lincoln had been on CIA's payroll for longer than he could accurately estimate. He'd been a handler for countless of teams almost half of that time. He'd seen a lot of agents come and go. Some burning out, others for far more grim reasons. He never expected to see one of them return. Until that night.

Carl had already made it home. But he rushed back to his office when he received a 'S.O.S' signal from a member of a team that hadn't existed in a long time. The sight he encountered there made him groan. "I really wish I could say that I've never seen this before…"

Spencer Reid had been self-treating what seemed suspiciously lot like a gunshot wound but looked up when he spoke. There was a haunted look and a chilling amount of barely controllable rage in the younger man's eyes. "I… think I need some help." Spencer swallowed thickly and shuddered. "Wolf… He escaped prison yesterday."

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: SOOOO… We've got a femme fatale who… seems like a pretty dangerous individual… AND, this Wolf, who seriously doesn't sound like good news… What made Reid turn to CIA for help? Will his teams be able to help? Seriously, WHAT THE HECK is going on here…?!

AND, most importantly… Do you want to read more? PLEASE, do let me know! I'd LOVE to hear from you!

In any case, THANK YOU so much for reading! Who knows… Maybe I'll see you again…?

Take care!


	2. The Wolf is Howling

A/N: It took me SLIGHTLY longer to update than I wanted. BUT, here I am! Yay…?

FIRST… THANK YOU, so much, for your reviews, love and support! You have NO IDEA how much it means to me that you're welcoming me with open arms. I'm furiously determined to not let you down! (HUGS)

SO… Wanna read more? LET'S GO! I really hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

The Wolf is Howling

* * *

/ _Spencer Reid graduated from high school at a ridiculously young age. Before the CIA approached him he had one doctorate under his belt and another in progress. He knew that he was smart. And proving it to the world was no problem._

 _His age and innocent face proved to be far more problematic. Especially with his tragic lack of social skills. People had hard time taking him seriously. So he was no one's first choice for a deep undercover job._

 _Yet that was where he found himself. Under the scrutiny of two pairs of sharp eyes that were expecting him to prove himself. "Go on, pretty boy", a man's voice urged him in a deep growl. "Show me who you are behind that baby face."_

 _Spencer breathed in deep. Then fired the gun he was holding with two hands. One. Two. Three. Like the steps of a dance. Every single bullet found the target flawlessly._

 _A woman laughed. "Didn't I tell you, Wolf?" a thick Irish accent chuckled. "He's perfect."_

 _Spencer did his best to keep his expression in check as he stared at a boy who was even younger than he was. Three cans with bullet holes lay around the crying and whimpering kid. Shooting was all physics, and if there was anything Spencer mastered to perfection it was physics. What would come next… Now that was far more challenging._

 _Wolf grunted. Mistrust was evident on the man's face. "Where did you find him?"_

 _"We've run into each other a few times. You know me, I'm a lone wolf. But I thought that you might find him… useful." The woman shrugged. "Consider this a payback for your favor in Moscow."_

 _"You owe me for much more than just Moscow, Sparrow. But if he's actually of any use, this is a start." Wolf circled him like he was a prey, then stood beside him, casting a menacing shadow. It was entirely too easy to notice how much taller than him the older man was. "Welcome to the Wolfpack, pretty boy." The criminal fired a shot of his own. The boy who played a target board cried out and fell. "As it turns out, there's an open position, after all." The gun pointed towards the dead kid on the floor. "Our… family has only two rules. You make a mistake… And you end up like him. You betray us?" Piercing eyes met his and held. "And your punishment is something much worse."_

 _And that was how Spencer's road to hell began._ /

* * *

Emily refused to leave Spencer's apartment building while the crime scene that was his home was still processed. But eventually watching the strangers rummaging through every single corner of her friend's apartment got too much and she headed outside. Fresh air helped with the headache this whole, slowly unraveling disaster was giving her.

Outside Emily fought to think clearly. Did everything she could to rationalize this, to distance herself like she once did easily. Her mind drew a blank. She fisted both hands to keep herself from attacking her fingernails.

 _Spencer, what the hell have you gotten yourself into?_

Seeing Jennifer Jareau approaching was a great relief. At least she wasn't in this all alone anymore. They wore identical grim expressions. "Is the rest of the team already here?" the blonde inquired.

Emily shook her head. "We'll meet them at the office." She sighed heavily, the weight of the world landing on her shoulders. "I may be overreacting, but…"

"… this is Spence we're talking about." JJ attempted to aim for a light tone and failed miserably. There was a spark of poorly concealed panic in the younger woman's eyes. "I'm also getting a bad feeling about this."

Neither spoke during the climb up, both far too deep in thought. By the time they reached Spencer's door the crime scene unit was finishing up. Both women shivered at the sight. Despite all the crime scenes they'd visited, the fact that this one was the home of one of their own…

Soon Emily's eyes locked on the man who seemed to be in charge over the investigation. At the moment he was talking to a phone. Disbelief was clearly evident on his face. "… serious?" the man hissed. The noticed them. "I've gotta go. I'll call you back soon."

Emily frowned. She was starting to suspect that she wouldn't like this… "Did that have something to do with agent Reid?"

The detective inhaled deeply. "You could say that." He gestured towards Spencer's apartment. As soon as they were there and had the door closed he went on. "How well do you know agent Reid?"

They stared at him, Emily's stomach twisting and turning. "We've been working with him for years. He's… like family", JJ replied, sparing her from having to try talking. "Why would you ask that?"

The detective's jawline tightened. "Because twenty minutes ago his car was found. There was a woman hidden in the trunk, covered in blood. She was barely alive." He nodded towards the mess around them. "Whatever happened here… Your friend's in a big trouble."

* * *

Beth Clemmons had almost dozed off, jet-lag beating her down, when it occurred to her that the bed felt cold and empty. Yawning gloriously, she forced herself up and sauntered to the living room. The sight she encountered there made her smile.

Aaron Hotchner was watching TV. Jack had fallen asleep beside him at some point and was now using his dad's shoulder as a pillow. The man didn't seem to mind. In fact… Aaron seemed to have dropped at least ten years of his age since leaving BAU-behind. She knew that he missed his old job sometimes. But she also knew that he didn't regret leaving. Just like she didn't regret transferring back from Hong Kong to be closer to the boys she loved.

That was when Aaron sensed her watching. The smile he gave her made her fall in love with him all over again. Seeing him _happy_ was intoxicating. "Sorry", he whispered. Then yawned. "Our 'Bond' marathon got out of hand."

Beth grinned. "I can tell. It's one in the morning."

Aaron groaned as loudly as he could without disturbing his son's sleep and stretched the best as he could. "Might explain why my muscles are so stiff." With a new yawn he ended the movie that had its closing credits rolling. His lips opened but all words froze into his mouth.

The TV and news were on. A solemn faced reporter explained how a prisoner named Jeremy Wolf had escaped and the police was desperate for clues from the public. The look hearing the man's name and seeing his face brought to Aaron's eyes… The way he paled and forgot to breathe…

Beth's heart clenched. Because she knew what this was. This was his past calling out to him.

* * *

Back at the bureau, the remaining BAU-team was in a state of shock and disbelief. Of course they knew that Spencer would never… harm an unarmed woman. But proving it to the police and figuring out what was actually going on… Now those were different matters entirely.

"So…" Penelope Garcia cleared her throat, pale and wide-eyed. "That prisoner he visited? She's Sofia Walsh. And… Not exactly a model citizen." They stared at the criminal record. Murders… Assaults… Explosions… It went on and on. "Before getting arrested she was a well-known contract killer. She's… developed quite the reputation since she moved to States from Ireland at the age of thirteen. In certain circles she's known as the Red Sparrow."

"You mean, among criminals?" JJ muttered, her mouth dry and feeling physically ill.

"What does Reid have to do with her?" Luke Alvez sputtered.

David Rossi clenched his jaw. "Only one way to find out. I'll go and visit her tomorrow. Unless someone else volunteers…?" Unsurprisingly no one did.

Emily sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. They could all see that she'd been biting her fingernails again over the past few hours. "It's way too late to visit tonight. But tomorrow I'll go the hospital to talk to that woman they found from Reid's car. JJ, you're coming with me. For now…" She nodded towards the picture of the Red Sparrow. "Let's try to get to know her. Because she seems to be our best link to finding Reid."

* * *

David had visited prisons many times before. Still the hair in the back of his neck stood up as he entered Fluvanna Correctional Center. The firm instructions he received before entering the meeting room didn't give him any more reassurance.

David had braced himself for a lot of things. It was still a surprise to face a petite, extremely beautiful young woman with long, fire-red hair and the greenest eyes he'd ever seen. She seemed much smaller than in the pictures. She watched him with open curiosity. "I knew that one of you would come." Her Irish accent was thick. "I wasn't expecting the famous David Rossi himself. I'm a big fan of your books."

David sat with the uncomfortable feeling that he was a bug under a microscope. "You had a visitor. Agent Spencer Reid."

Sofia had clearly expected as much. She titled her head. "We talked."

Frustration sharpened David's tongue. "I'm going to need something a lot more specific than that. Because he's…"

"… missing." Sofia's eyes sharpened marginally while she leaned forward. "I'd say that he's rather on the run than missing."

David gritted his teeth, trying to come up with something clever to say to that.

Sofia was faster. "I'm giving you a fair warning, because I'm your fan. Spencer would tell you the same thing, if he had the time." Her eyes flashed. "You have absolutely no idea what you're getting yourself into. So stay out of this, you and that whole team of yours. Because the wolf is howling and it'd break Spencer's poor little heart if you'd get bitten."

* * *

The hospital was busy and uncomfortably loud when Emily and JJ made their way towards a certain ward. They were hoping to get the chance to talk to the woman found from Spencer's car. Unfortunately luck wasn't on their side.

A nurse who looked like she hadn't slept in days sighed and shook her head. "I'm sorry. But… She sustained severe injuries and the doctors treating her still aren't sure if she'll need surgery. According to the tox screen she's been drugged heavily. She's lucky to not have been killed by the dosage."

The agents exchanged a quick, loaded look. "Drugged with what?" Emily forced herself to ask. They had a nauseating feeling that they already knew the answer.

"Dilaudid."

A punch in the gutt would've hurt less. They could only hope that Spencer would never find out about this bit. "Do you have any idea of her identity?" JJ inquired.

The nurse shook her head. "She had no ID along. Or a phone, or… anything. Only light clothes on her. And… She hasn't uttered a single word since being found." She inhaled. "I can't say that I'm surprised. She suffered a head trauma, she was drugged and… there's pretty solid evidence of sexual assault."

Emily felt ready to throw up or punch her fist through a wall. Knowing that the police even entertained the thought that Spencer might be connected to doing something like _that_ … She was shocked by how calm she managed to sound. "Do you think we could try asking her a few questions? An agent is missing and she might be able to help. And… We'd like to try and figure out what happened to her. So whoever is responsible could be arrested."

The nurse's facial expression hardened as her protective instincts for her patient flared. "Like I said before, I'm sorry. But she's in no condition to answer any questions yet. I told the police the same when they tried to come and interview her. You're federal agents. How reliable answers do you imagine you'd get out of someone who's been nearly lethally drugged and traumatized mute?"

While JJ kept talking to the nurse Emily's phone started ringing. She frowned at the unfamiliar number and almost chose not to answer before changing her mind. "Prentiss."

" _Em, I… I'm sorry._ " Hearing Spencer's sad and genuinely remorseful voice made her heart skip a beat or two. " _I… didn't think you'd hear about all this so quickly._ "

Suddenly Emily felt so relieved that she wanted to laugh. True, Spencer was in a lot of trouble. But at least he was still alive and able to contact her. He was still out there somewhere to be helped. "So this is how you spend that mandatory time off of yours, huh?" A bad joke, she knew. And Spencer didn't respond. She sighed. "Look… Whatever she's gotten you involved in… We can help you. Just tell me where you are and…"

" _You can't help me. Not with this, not with him._ " Spencer sounded so sure of the matter that she couldn't think of a thing to say. But he didn't sound defeated. He sounded like he was bracing himself for a war. " _That's why I left. Because I need you guys safe, just like you did with Doyle._ "

Emily shuddered. To imagine Spencer facing whatever monster he was charging after like she faced Doyle… "We can't let you handle this alone!"

" _I'm not alone._ " His end was starting to sound busy and loud. " _Look… I know that I have no right to ask for anything. But… Keep Ava safe. Make sure that Wolf doesn't find her._ "

Emily's eyebrows furrowed. "Wolf? Reid, who is Ava?" Of course she knew that her friend was referring to the mystery patient. But _who was she_?

Only silence answered her, and she hoped dearly that it wasn't the last time she'd hear Spencer's voice.

* * *

Much later that evening Sofia's eyes opened at the sound of approaching steps. A guard who always looked like he'd tasted something foul, ironically named Joy, stood behind the bars. "I don't get how this is even happening… But apparently you're getting a transfer. Right now."

Sofia's eyebrow bounced up. It rose even higher when her gaze shifted towards the man in an expensive suit standing a step behind Joy. Slowly a nearly playful smile appeared to her lips. "I must've been a good girl to deserve such and escort", she purred.

Both men remained stone-faced.

Sofia was already so used to wearing handcuffs that she didn't flinch or shiver when she was restrained. Nor did she look around while she was escorted through the maze-like prison. She didn't speak again until she was in a car. "You look good in a suit", she teased.

Spencer Reid's eyebrow twitched in a manner she realized she'd missed. "Don't you think we have more important things to concentrate on? Wolf's out, and he has…"

"Oh, I know exactly what he has." Sofia's eyes flashed. She couldn't remember the last time she would've experienced such bloodlust. "And when we find him I'm going to tear him apart with my bare hands." She rolled her eyes at the look on Spencer's face. "You got me out of there because you're desperate. Because you need my help. You know that only I can find and finish Wolf, because I play as dirty as he does." The evening's shadows darkened her eyes as well. "You know how much I like you. But stay out of my way and let me play dirty, or I'll tear you apart, too."

Spencer said nothing. Almost. "Who says that I'd try to stop you?" After that their car sped into the fast darkening night in a silence.

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: SOOOO… The plot, ladies and gents, is thickening. Sofia, Ava and Wolf. Remember those three names and you're good. (grins)

Was that worth the wait? At all? Do you want to see where this is all going? PLEASE, do let me know!

I'M DETERMINED TO UPDATE AT LEAST EVERY OTHER WEEK. IF I FAIL, SCOLD ME MIGHTILY! (HUGS)

Until next, folks! I REALLY hope that I'll see you all there.

Take care!

* * *

 **Guest** : (blushes) Aaaaw, such kind words! THANK YOU. I really hope that you'll be as pleased with what's to come.

Massive thank yous for the review!


	3. The Crimson Flight of Jay and Sparrow

A/N: I'M BAAAAAAAAACK! I'm SO SORRY that it took me THIS LONG. But my head suffered a hostile takeover. (winces) BUT, I'm finally here! We'll see how this story continues…

THANK YOU, so much, for your reviews, listings, love and support! They SERIOUSLY help keep the spark for this fic-baby going. (HUGS)

Awkay, because I've already kept you waiting… Let's go! I REALLY hope that you'll enjoy the ride.

* * *

The Crimson Flight of a Jay and a Sparrow

* * *

Donny Delaney had worked for Wolf for as long as he cared to remember. Over the years he'd obtained a reputation that made just about anyone who heard his codename, Black Coyote, shudder. But when he heard that Red Sparrow wasn't in jail anymore… He was truly, genuinely scared.

As soon as he made it home he ensured that every single door was firmly locked. As though it would've kept such a monster outside. His unsteady hand had just grabbed a phone when a too familiar voice purred. "Hey, Donny. You must've missed me, if you were stupid enough to lure me to you."

Donny's eyes widened. There was a liquor cabinet in front of him, and from the reflection on its door he saw red hair. He swallowed thickly while his hand slid down, slowly and subtly. "I have no part in Wolf's pla…" He didn't get the chance to finish.

The kick was hard and merciless. Sent his head right through the door and at the bottles behind it. Broken glass slashed deep wounds to his cheeks and he snarled from pain and fury. His fingers sped towards the long, sharp knife he'd been about to grab but Sofia was faster. Steel found a new home from his back before he could blink.

"Help me find Wolf…" She twisted the knife, making him groan against his will. "… and I'll finish this quickly."

Donny hissed. Then kicked backwards, with all his might. It pushed the tiny woman further, he had no idea how much. She landed with a thud that gave him a tiny hint of satisfaction.

He expected Sofia to cry out or snarl. Instead she began to laugh. "Oh, Donny… You have no idea how glad I am that you did that. Because when my preys fight back…" Before he sensed her moving her hand was back on the blade and plunged it just a little deeper. "… it always makes me enjoy the kill even more. Move an inch… and I'll show you hell on Earth. Please do. You know I'd enjoy it."

Donny gasped, each sound bubbling sickeningly. No air was getting into his lungs. He was dying. And if Sofia had her way it'd be a long, painful process. "I…", he rasped. "… no idea …"

Sofia sat on top of him. Her weight wasn't much but in his current condition it was enough to paralyze him. "You have no idea where I'm going to find what I'm looking for? Now that's disappointing." She twisted the knife some more. "But you know someone who does know. I saw you fiddling with your phone. You were about to warn someone." When he didn't respond she slammed a second knife at his leg, making him scream out loud. "AM I RIGHT?"

"YES!" he somehow managed to bellow, with breath he hadn't imagined he had.

Sofia scratched him behind the ear. "Good boy. Wolf always said that you're a good puppy." He trembled when metal caressed the far too exposed skin of his neck seconds before she went on. "Is she still alive?"

Donny emitted a few bitter, wet chuckles. His last laugh. "If… she is… not for long… Wolf… isn't good… with fragile things…"

The third blade pierced his neck before the echo of the last syllable faded.

Spencer turned his head when Sofia sat into the car. He gave the plastic-bag containing her blood-soaked clothes a look, then focused on the leather pants and shirt she wore. She shrugged. "He kept the clothes I left on my previous… visit. Sentimental idiot."

Spencer felt sick to his stomach. Because he knew that this was only just the beginning of their journey. "Did you get any information?"

Sofia's only response was fishing out a phone that wasn't hers and dialing. Her eyes darkened in a chilling manner and narrowed when the one she called picked up. "No, this isn't Donny. He won't be able to make it to the phone." Her tone was smoother than velvet, as was the humorless laugh which followed. "I must admit… I was disappointed that you picked up. Because I actually like you." She scoffed. "If I were you, I'd start paying attention, right now." Her eyebrow arched. "What I want? Darling… You know _exactly_ what I want." She eased herself to a more comfortable position, clearly feeling in control. "First of all, send a cleaning up crew to Donny's. I… left a mess. And then help me find what I'm looking for alive, because that 'alive' is the only thing keeping you… among us. Unless you want to be the next one needing a cleaning up crew." She listened surprisingly patiently, then smiled serenely. "Thank you, darling. Better hope I won't be seeing you soon. Keep picking up the phone when I call, and don't whisper even a single word of this to Wolf. Or I _will_ come and visit. Are we on the same page?" One corner of her lips rose, revealing her teeth. "Good girl." With that threat she hung up. Her eyes were still the sharp ones of a successful predator when they turned towards him. "I've got our next location. But there's somewhere we'll go first."

"We don't have the time to…!" Spencer tried to protest but was cut off quickly.

"Wolf made this personal. I'm returning the favor." Sofia's jawline tightened while her gaze studied him intently. "How is it going to be? Will you let me play dirty? Or do I need to get you out of the way?"

Spencer drove on and said nothing.

* * *

Out of the whole team's decision it was JJ who went to see the mystery-patient found from Spencer's car. Despite the painful injuries marring her she was a beautiful woman, roughly around Spencer's age. Long, black hair, blue eyes, which looked at her with a great deal of fear and suspicion as soon as she entered.

JJ did her best to offer a reassuring smile. "Hi. I'm agent Jareau, with the FBI. I'd… like to ask you a few questions. Is that alright?"

The other woman frowned and pulled her legs to her chest, then nodded barely noticeably.

JJ nodded back and sat down slowly, not wanting to startle the already traumatized victim. "Is your name Ava?" She took the jerking motion of a head as a 'yes'. "I've understood that you're not comfortable with talking yet, so I'm going to give you a pen and some paper." She showed said items to Ava, who kept an eager eye on them. "I'll hand them…" She didn't have the time to finish before the victim had grabbed the paper and started writing. The process was brief but frantic. The paper was then practically tossed at her. It held only one word.

' _Robin_ '

It was JJ's turn to frown. _What…?_ "Ava, what does this mean?"

The victim said or typed nothing more. JJ was about to keep demanding answers. But just then her phone started ringing and Ava shuddered, whatever chance she had to get answers lost. The blond groaned from frustration before picking up. "Agent Jareau."

" _You'd… better get back to the office._ " Penelope sounded so shocked that all irritation faded away. " _We've got visitors._ "

JJ drove back faster than would've probably been advisable. By the time she reached the briefing room the remaining team was already there, stunned expressions on their faces. As soon as she saw their visitors she understood. She blinked twice from surprise. There was an older man she'd never seen before and… "Aaron?"

"Hey. I… wish I could've visited under better circumstances." Aaron Hotchner gritted his teeth. "There's a lot you need to know."

* * *

Prue Shannon had been on Wolf's payroll since the day she turned sixteen. The day he was arrested she was twenty-three. And his newest… special little playmate. Which earned her certain privileges, even while he was incarcerated.

Wolf's mansion, built to a stunningly beautiful beach, wasn't only beautiful. It also had the best security system money could buy and a small army of guards. If there was a place in the whole wide world where she was safe, that was it.

Or so she imagined. Until she came home from a run to find a woman she was never supposed to see again sitting in the kitchen. She froze, her recently calmed heartrate beginning to race anew. With a single gunshot through a silencer her unwanted visitor killed the guard who'd had the time to make a single move to defend his boss.

Prue's lips were already open to call for security when Sofia placed a finger to her lips. "I hope you don't mind, but I had someone keep those guards of yours company. It's been such a long time, so I wanted it to be just the two of us."

Prue gritted her teeth. She knew what the other woman was doing in her home. "I tried to tell Wolf that it was a bad idea."

Sofia snorted. "Since when has that man ever listened to anyone?" The criminal's eyes flashed. "You know what he took from me."

Prue breathed hard. She was skilled and experienced. She had no idea if it'd be enough. "I'll never tell you where he is."

Sofia rolled her eyes. "Prue, you're smarter than this. I'm not visiting you for information. I'm visiting you to leave a message."

They clashed like two wild animals. Used bare hands, because anything else wouldn't have been intimate and personal enough. Fists… Kicks… Blow after a blow. It didn't take long before both their blood stained the expensive floor.

It took exactly fifty-two minutes before Prue managed to hurl Sofia at a wall. The redhead was stunned, but only for a moment. Before Prue had the slightest chance to see it coming a kick came. She flew violently and crashed through a glass-table. And remained on the floor, because before she could recover a heavy boot was pressed against her throat.

Sofia glared down at her, the look in those eyes nothing human. The blood staining the woman made her look like an angel of death. "I'm sorry about the pup in your belly. But Wolf should've known better than to make it personal." She lifted her gaze towards the security camera pointed directly at them. "Wolf… This is for Merlin. Imagine what I will do for Robin." With those ominous words Sofia got to work.

* * *

At the meeting room a shocked silence lingered until Aaron sighed. "I… heard about Wolf. And I figured that you and Reid need help."

Luke scoffed and nodded slowly, the fastest to recover. "Yeah. You could say that."

JJ focused on the man who had yet to introduce himself with a suspicious frown. "I'm sorry, but… Who are you?"

"Carl Lincoln, CIA." The man's expression was grim. "I'm sure that Reid has already told you to stay away from this, and I agree with his decision. If you try to find him you'll end up doing far more harm than good. But if you want to try helping, anyway… Or to at least understand… Then you should read this. Mind you, this is top secret material. Officially none of you has seen any of this. Understood?" They all nodded eagerly. Satisfied, he revealed a thick file. Once they saw what read on top of it none of them knew what to think.

' _Reid, Spencer / Black Jay_ '

The shock from before paled in comparison to this new one. They all stared at the file. "CIA?" Rossi choked. "Really?"

"That's… not all." Aaron revealed another, equally thick CIA's file and placed it on the table. Names 'Walsh, Sofia' and 'Red Sparrow' were written on it. "Another agent. She used to be a member of my team."

* * *

Prue's screams carried easily downstairs, where Spencer closed his eyes while the sounds tore at the heart he was trying so very hard to preserve. Even in the middle of this pitch-black nightmare. He fought to tell himself that at least some of the person he once was would be intact when this was over.

One of the ten guards lay on the floor gurgled and shifted marginally. The last one alive. And, coincidentally, one of Wolf's most loyal pack-members. "… she's… a monster… remember you, Jay… Better than this…"

Spencer looked towards the man, the kind of rage and blood-lust in him only Scratch had managed to evoke rising. "A lot of people seem to imagine that they know what kind of a person I am. And what kind of a person she is." He shook his head and aimed a gun where it'd hurt, not at a lethal spot. "They have no idea." He pulled the trigger and soon the guard's howls of agony drowned out Prue's dying ones.

An hour later he and Sofia both sat on their car's backseat, the redhead without a shirt so he could tend to her wounds. Spencer didn't mean to do so, but couldn't help himself. Once he was done with fresh injuries his hand paused to a much older scar marring the woman's stomach. It was long and ugly, an angry line against pale skin.

His brush was brief and tender. But it was enough to make Sofia react. She shuddered, then crushed her lips against his in a bruising, almost violent kiss. It was over before Spencer could decide how he felt about it. He told himself that he wanted to push her away, even if some parts of him begged to disagree.

"Wolf stole one of my babies. But I'm not giving him another. I want to make him howl until he dies, slowly and painfully", Sofia hissed, her warm breath making his lips tingle. Their eyes met, holding identical intensity. "Let's go and get back our daughter."

* * *

TBC

* * *

A/N: OH BOY…! We've seen that Spencer has a dark side, but… (shivers) That was A LOT of violence and info. Are you all still hanging in there?

SO. Now we know why the duo is on a warpath. Will they find Wolf? And if they do, what will happen?

AND. The most important question of all. Do you guys want to read more? PLEASE, do let me know! I LOVE hearing from you.

Until next time, which should come much faster than this one! I REALLY hope that I'll see you all there.

Take care!


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